A Mithral Dragon in Modern Britain
by Moonsword
Summary: Magic begins to reemerge and the leader is a dragon from the Silver Millennium. Her duty is to somehow manage the emerging magic and the practitioners thereof, as well as deal with problems arising from that emergence.
1. Prologue

**A Mithral Dragon in Modern ****Britain******

**Prologue: Return of a Friend**

The woman looked up from her solitary post on top of the tower as her visitor drew near.  "Well, Pluto, what brings you so far into my home?" she asked as she turned to her old friend, speaking in a language long dead save for these two and a few others.

"So formal, Sharanna?  What have I done to deserve such from you?"  Pluto asked, her voice tinged with a curious warmth and amusement.

_Decidedly odd_, Sharanna thought to herself as she considered her answer.  Aloud, she replied to Pluto's question.  "When you have come to visit me before, Pluto, you never did so in either uniform or the human guise you wear to deal with the Senshi."

Pluto nodded, conceding the point.  "It is good that you are still so observant, old friend," she stated as she shifted her appearance to that of her native features.  The elf that now stood before Sharanna still possessed the flowing, dark green hair and lavender eyes that the Senshi had learned differentiated her from others.  "I suspect that you will have need of it," Pluto continued.  "Events are transpiring that will soon require your attention."

Sharanna sighed.  "You have your duty to attend to Pluto.  The Senshi must guard Tokyo, and, to an extent, the world.  But I have no place in this time.  I have no role to play, now that the occult foes I faced down during what some called the Great Patriotic War are burning in the hells they have earned.  I can merely watch and learn what I can of this place," she said mournfully.

Pluto frowned.  "I think that there is more you can do than that.  I looked through the library before I came up here.  If you were simply moping about as you seem to indicate, you would not possess the books you do.  _Jane's Fighting Ships_, _Van Nostrand's Scientific Encyclopedia_, _Encyclopedia Britannica, _a dozen _Oxford Companions_?  Are these the books of one so resigned to her fate?"  Pluto asked scathingly, hoping to draw her friend out of the morass of self-pity Sharanna had lately taken up the habit of falling into.

Sharanna glared at her guest.  "By what right do you trespass in my Eyrie?" she demanded of the elf.

"By the right of your friendship," Pluto declared.  "I am tired of watching you wallow in your grief.  Such things have their place, but you are allowing it to consume your life."

"It is my life," the other responded, turning away.

"And yet, you still seek to find a place, despite the stated choice to become a hermit?"  Pluto taunted.

"I will do as I please," Sharanna responded, pointedly looking out over the rolling hills of Scotland and into the dark waters of Loch Ness.  "And as I see fit," she added.

"I recognize your right to do so.  You must of course grieve for the loss of the Silver Millennium, as I did long ago.  But you also must move on with your life, and you know this to be true," Pluto replied.

"Yes, so I do," Sharanna agreed after a weighty sigh.  "And yes, I have been learning more of this new time.  The technologies and sciences of the humans fascinate me, I must admit.  They are so inventive, and yet so childlike at times."  She shook her head.  "Their 'computers' are a particular amusement to me, and an intriguing challenge."

"Such is not the only challenge this time offers," Pluto hinted.

"And…?"  Sharanna asked.

"The Return," Pluto stated simply.  Sharanna's head whipped around as she gasped in shock.

"Then the old prophesies are true?" she asked, her voice tinged with excitement.

Pluto nodded.  "They are.  And you are the dragon who will play the part of Emissary."

Sharanna shook her head.  "I'm no diplomat.  Such a task is better left to Mercury or Neptune."

"They are not dragons, nor do they possess the knowledge of the past required.  You can learn more of the future than they of the past in a short time, as already well proven."  Pluto kept watching her friend.

Sharanna sighed and looked back over the waters.  The moonlight sparkled on the dark waves as the dragon was lost deep in thought.  "I will do it, Pluto," she said finally.  Pluto smiled behind her friend's back.  "But how will I know _what_ to do?" she asked.  Getting no answer, she turned.  Pluto was gone.

* * *

The phone rang, interrupting Ami and Michiru as they talked about the college the former would soon be attending as the roommate of the latter.  Ami picked it up off the hook.  "Mizuno Residence," she said by way of greeting.

"Ami?  It's Haruka.  You and Michiru might want to turn the TV on," a deep voice on the other side of the line answered.  Ami motioned for Michiru to turn the TV on, then to CNN, and both their jaws dropped at the lead picture.  Haruka heard the gasps from the other end of the line.  "Yeah, I know.  My thoughts exactly," she added.  "I think is something the Senshi should deal with," Haruka continued.  "I'll get Hotaru and try to find Setsuna if you'll get the others and we'll meet you at Makoto's apartment, okay?"  Ami mumbled something into the receiver and Haruka hung up.  So did Ami as she continued to watch the pictures from Loch Ness, Scotland.  She recovered and started calling the Inner Senshi as fast as she could.  They all agreed to meet at Makoto's, and the two Senshi literally ran to their friend's.

On the screen, a shimmering, silver-scaled dragon, over 73 feet in length from nose to the tip of her tail, lay on the bank beside the Loch, conversing with a smaller, indigo-scaled dragon still under the waves in a relaxed manner.  A great deal of mist was around them, but not enough to conceal their great forms.  The largest of the pair turned to look at the news crews surrounding her, and flicked a wing in annoyance before turning back to her conversation.


	2. Loch Ness

**A Mithral Dragon in Modern ****Britain******

**Chapter 1: ****Loch****Ness******

_Author's Note: Part of this chapter is very grim.  Just be aware of it.  I'm not going into any really gritty details, here or there, but just be forewarned. _

The news crews stared at the two dragons as they conversed quietly.  Sharanna laughed lightly.  "Yes, too true.  I'll look into the problem.  But, for now, it seems we've attracted a little bit of attention."

The indigo-scaled reptilian considered the situation.  "Well, I guess it was time that they finally figured it out," the other dragon answered her.  She shrugged, or as close to a shrug as a near-dragon like her could.  The creature otherwise known as Nessie laughed lightly, looking around the Loch.  "It's not as if I haven't given them enough clues over the years."

Sharanna snickered.  "In any case, I'll be going.  Thank you for assisting."

Nessie smiled, showing her teeth.  "I'll get it out of you eventually, mithral," the lesser dragon promised.

Sharanna just shook her head at her friend and leapt into the air, banking slightly to the north as she came up to around four hundred feet, moving directly away from her own home to throw everyone off.  _I think that went about as well as it could have,_ she thought to herself.  _Now maybe people will start thinking.  It should be funny to see what they do to figure this one out,_ she added, chuckling (or rumbling, really, since her voice box was larger than some big cats).

The Senshi sat down on various items of furniture in Makoto's apartment, looking worried.  All of them, save Setsuna, were there for the meeting.  Michiru and Haruka traded a look, and both Ami and Artemis looked tense.  "Guys, are you sure that's what you saw?"  Rei asked, confused and a little worried.

Haruka gave her a dirty look.  "Do I look that stupid?" she asked.  "I don't like this.  It's probably a coincidence, but since two of us are going to be in that country…" she trailed off.  "It sounds like a trap."

The others traded looks of their own and sighed.  "Well, we need to keep an eye on the situation," Artemis said after a long moment.  "From what Luna and I can remember, the silver dragons were friendly to the Moon Kingdom, but that was thousands of years ago, a long time, even for dragons."

"Yes, it is," Ami replied slowly, some old memories coming to the surface.  "One of them was my friend.  She… adopted me after I was called to become Senshi Mercury," she continued, pain old but no less bitter flashing in her eyes.  "She taught me… magic," she added, confused.  Shaking off the mood, she looked at the other girls.  "I don't know if I can fight one of them.  There's something else.  I don't think she was a silver dragon, any more than that dragon on the news was."

Artemis nodded, but was cut off before he could say anything.  "Indeed, she was not," a soft feminine voice answered her.  "The silver dragons died out millennia ago, or fled to other places, far from Earth," she added, stepping fully into sync with that time.  Senshi Pluto stood before them, her features human now.  "Humanity hunted them, blamed the dragons, all of them, and anything else that was intelligent and non-human who survived what had happened.  With magic having died out after the fall of the Moon Kingdom, they were easy prey.  Some of the dragons were barely able to move, crippled without the mana that they required to survive."  She looked sad and ancient, remembering horrors long gone.  "The orcs and the goblins perished during the long winter, unable to cope with both human encroachment and dramatic climactic change.  Humanity turned on the giants who had liberated their race so long ago with the help of the silver and gold dragons, and much of the last of the magical talent that was left died in those purges."  Pluto stares at something no one else can see.  "Mankind brought the Silver Millennium down through his own arrogance and jealousy.  Metallia and Beryl both hailed from the host of Man.  And in his fear, Man turned on everyone else, even the innocent.  Children were slaughtered, hatchlings of the dragons and drakes killed and butchered for meat."  She looked like she was on the edge of crying.  "The dragons were trying to save everyone, both on Earth and off it, but Man had doomed them to a slow, lingering death that they defied to save Mankind.  And Mankind killed them, and anything non-human, in thanks for their efforts.  And for all that, the horror and shame of the survivors when they discovered just what evil had been wrought upon the other races, they forgot.  The flood of the Bible was unleashed by an uncontrolled ritual.  Humans broke in and killed the casters, a trio of mithral dragons trying to save Earth from being frozen over.  The closest thing to family of that dragon on the screen died that day, and their blood and that of millions of others still stains the collective hands of humanity in my view and in others.  Mankind has much to atone for.  And this time, I don't think that I would stop anyone from bringing the people of Earth to justice," Pluto added coldly, angry over what had been done so long ago.

Haruka, Michiru, and Rei were on their feet, and in Pluto's face.  "Just what do you think you're saying?!"  Haruka demanded angrily.

Pluto looked at them for a moment.  "Humanity butchered and displaced over a billion sentient beings in that struggle, many of them innocent, and some of them actively trying to undo the damage that Man had done to himself.  More of them fall into the former category than the latter," she added.  "I stood by, evacuating who I could, shielding and aiding those I couldn't, but even I was targeted for my efforts.  I will not be lectured on this by you," Pluto added.  By now, the rest of the Senshi were standing up, various expressions of anger and horror on their faces.  "The hatchlings of the dragons were butchered for meat, as I said.  It wasn't given to dogs," she added.  "I watched horrors beyond anything Hitler ever contemplated carried out because Mankind was 'afraid'.  In reality, he was mad.  Mad with fear, with arrogance and pride, and a thousand other things."  She looked old, so terribly old, as the sights she'd seen weighed down on her soul.  "We are fortunate that Sharanna does not hold it against us, otherwise, I suspect that few would survive her wrath."

Haruka laughed.  "Just what makes you think we can't take something that villagers armed with sticks could kill?" she asked, not believing her ears.

Pluto cocked an eyebrow.  "A mithral dragon?  A fully-grown adult mithral dragon is probably less vulnerable in the modern deprivation of mana than it would be otherwise, since you need some sort of magic to have a prayer of stopping them.  Their scales and hides are tough enough to stop tank shells, and they have a resistance to hostile magic that even _I_ would be hard-pressed to defeat were it not for my Senshi abilities.  Immensely strong in methods both physical and mystic, and with an intellect and perception that surpasses that of the greatest of humans, and the memories of a half-dozen lifetimes.  That is what you would face.  Mithral dragons are not sloppy, and while overconfident to some extent, they have a sense of caution and foresight that our previous enemies have lacked.  And Sharanna was also an intelligence and fleet officer, trained in strategy, espionage, and tactics.  If we wanted to kill her, I doubt that we would survive more than a few days after she found out.  Or more than a few minutes in open battle," she added.  "The dragons helped to create the Senshi, invest us with our power.  Sharanna wasn't that old, but she did study the spells and rituals binding our powers to us.  I'm not sure, but she might very well be able to strip one of us of our powers.  I do know she's killed at least one Senshi before, one who went rogue, and she was much less powerful then."  Pluto shook her head.  "Her kindred died from surprise that day, Haruka, and they were assaulted by the last of Earth's archmages and eldritch warriors.  They had so much of their power bound up in the spells they were casting that they were unable to defend themselves.  Sharanna would not have that problem if we chose to strike against her."

The Senshi sat stunned at the revelation.  "Just how many of these dragons are still alive?"  Mamoru asked quietly after absorbing the information he'd been given.

Pluto considered the question for a moment.  "At the time of the last count I conducted, there were precisely... one," she finished, smiling slightly.  "And Sharanna has... while not accepted, she has come to terms with what happened in the past.  The sins of the father will not be avenged upon the child in this case," she pronounced.  "Sharanna has dealt with it better than I have, in fact," Pluto added, bitterly.

"Because she's not human?"  Ami asked hesitantly.  "Her psychology is better at dealing with it?"

"Because she slept through the Darkness, rather than watching at the Gates," Pluto corrected.  "In truth, I am only marginally more human that she is," she admitted.

The Senshi reeled at the latest little revelation.  Michiru finally summoned enough of her faculties to ask a question.  "Pluto, just what do you mean by that?  That you aren't that much more human than the dragon?"

Pluto gave no verbal response, simply focusing her mind and allowing the glamour she wore for their benefit to disappear.  Her ears became pointed and her eyes almond-shaped.  Her features were more angular, and she seemed more... slender and fey than before.  Looking at the shock on her faces, she smiled, amused at the sight.  _I haven't this much fun with a roomful of magi since the last Conference,_ she thought to herself, feeling the grim mood that had settled onto her begin to lift.  The other Senshi erupted into pandemonium.  Rei slapped a ward on the face of the Time Senshi as both Haruka and Michiru transformed.  Ami pulled out her computer.  Makoto and Minako had their wands out, but didn't know whether to transform or not.  Mamoru became Endymion and had his sword drawn, though what he planned to with it seemed a source of confusion to the Prince of Earth.  Usagi stood, becoming Serenity and looking at her eldest Senshi in confusion.  Hotaru had her Glaive, but she looked as confused as Endymion did.  Luna was shocked while Artemis just shook his head, looking vaguely amused and annoyed at the same time.  Overall, the revelations they had been privy too this day were nearly the limit of what their faculties could accept.


	3. Transitions

**A Mithral Dragon in Modern ****Britain******

**Chapter 2: Transitions**

The students on the University Parks for Oxford stared at the immense creature that had settled there.  It was the very same dragon that had just recently showed up on the shores of Loch Ness.  And now it was sitting on a cricket field near Oxford University, looking around at the police officers that had gathered.  One brow ridge was slightly elevated, and the creature's mouth was slightly agape.  The less xenophobic of the students noticed the creature seemed more amused than anything else did with all the attention it was gathering.  Standing up from the relaxed posture it had adopted, the dragon strode over to the largest concentration of police officers and looked at them, smiling.  "Would someone care to get the Vice-Chancellor of the university here?  I would like to speak with him," it added, speaking with a feminine voice, soft and low, but at the same time loud enough that anyone within fifty feet could hear it.  The constable directly in front of the dragon nodded, speaking into his radio as she watched them quietly.

Twenty minutes later, the Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University, dressed for the unusually warm British weather, was standing in front of the dragon, which inclined her head respectfully at him.  He started up at the creature.  "I understand that you wanted to speak with me," the Chancellor offered in greeting, concealing his fear well.

"Yes, I did," the dragon answered, her voice cultured.  "I wish to attend your university next semester.  I wish to learn more about humanity in this era and your institution is one of the best in the world, and I have had other projects occupying my time until now."

The Chancellor paled slightly.  "I think you are somewhat past the deadline..." he trailed off as the dragon moved her head closer, until she was looking directly in his eyes, an expression somewhere between annoyed and amused at this display of bureaucratic mentality.  "However, given that this is a unique situation, I believe an exception can be made," he added hastily, sensing impending doom in the form of teeth somewhat larger than his torso.  "Come by my office tomorrow morning and I'll see about getting you registered for classes."  He gulped at the chaos this was going to cause.  _Well, at least we can't be accused of racism,_ he thought consolingly.  Shaking his head, he watched as the dragon turned to the news crew and quietly told them of her plans and the University's agreement.  His eyes widened at one question.

"How do we know that you are qualified intellectually to take courses here?" a reporter asked.  Dressed in a dark suit, he seemed to exude arrogance and confidence.  The Chancellor blinked as the question registered fully and braced himself for an explosion of blood and violence.  One that, to his surprise, did not come, nor did the dragon seem particularly surprised at the comment.

The dragon raised her brow ridge slightly and put her snout directly in the man's face, considering the reporter.  "You don't.  However, I have successfully evaded detection in your society, as a complete outsider, on and off, for over sixty-five years.  That would indicate some level of cunning.  Also, my brain size is considerably larger than yours, as a function of my body size.  While brain size alone is not a pure indicator of intelligence, given the examples of my distant cousins, the creatures you term dinosaurs, in this case, it does contribute considerably to my ability to process information, both sensory and ephemeral.  I can communicate extremely fluently in several dozen different languages and also to a some extent in many others.  I possess an intimate knowledge of physics and chemistry, including a few exotic fields that have thus far escaped the illumination of 'modern' science.  Are there any other questions you wish to ask, scribe, or has your curiosity been satisfied?" she asked, her voice laced with sarcasm and just the faintest hint of menace.

The journalist nodded, looking on the verge of panic.  "This is Joseph Smith, signing off for the BBC," he added for the viewers.  The dragon nodded and stood up fully, taking a couple of running strides and spreading her wings.  She caught the wind and the magic within, turning both to her purpose with some of the inherent power all dragons share and soared off to the north, well aware that everyone around was watching her.  Noticing the RAF Harrier GR7 moving onto her wing, the dragon gave it a jaunty wave with her left wing before pulling up again and coming to a cruising altitude, vectoring for her home on the shores of Loch Ness.  The fighter pulled away as a pair of Tornado air defense fighters took the jump-jet's place as the dragon accelerated, somehow achieving speeds more properly associated with a jet that a flying reptile massing close to fifty tons.

The dragon chuckled to herself as the two fighters paced her.  _I bet they're trying to figure out just how I can move this fast,_ Sharanna thought, smiling.  _Let's see just how good these two are._  The dragon pulled up sharply and dropped her speed dramatically.  The fighters shot past her and she ducked onto the tail of one fighter, part of her mind instinctively manipulating the winds around her with a bit of magic as any dragon could do.  The pilot's eyes went wide at the maneuvers the one-hundred-twenty-plus ton reptile was pulling as he realized that if another fighter had pulled that same maneuver, he would be dead.  The WSO turned in his rear seat, watching the larger flyer effortlessly moving in the air.  After a time, the small convoy of aircraft began a gentle descent to Loch Ness as Sharanna approached her home.  The fighters pulled away and flew towards a tanker as Sharanna landed and shifted to a human form a few hundred meters from her home.

* * *

The next morning, Sharanna stretched as she woke in the bed she kept to sleep in as a human or an elf.  _I suppose I'm going to have to get a little more used to sleeping in a human bed,_ she noted ruefully as she rubbed a crick in her neck from the odd angle it had been while she slept.  Getting up and about, the elfin dragon pulled out a bathrobe, put on a pair of slippers, and walked to the kitchen on the top floor of her tower.  _Now where did I put those biscuits...? _Sharanna thought to herself as she searched through the refrigerator for materials to make breakfast.  Finally finding the biscuits, the sausage, and the bacon she had stored, Sharanna set to making breakfast and then eating it quickly as she read a science-fiction novel she had always found interesting, Heinlein's _Starship Troopers_.  Once she was done, Sharanna went through a process similar to that of many individuals for personal hygiene, although hers also involved a few bits of meditation and mystic exercises, keeping her powers and the association with both water and air she held as a birthright attuned.  Finished, the dragon walked back into her bedroom and over to the decidedly large closet.  Walking past the everyday clothes in the forward part of it, Sharanna found the several business suits she kept in the back for the few times she needed to look official.  _Hmm, no, not this, I don't know,_ the dragon thought as she looked through the half-dozen or so suits she had.  _I guess something in blue,_ she finally decided, pulling out a conservative suit in a deep navy, grabbing a white shirt and a silver tie on her way out of the closet.  Changing quickly, she then went to the mirror and brushed out the long silver hair she usually wore in a human or elven form.  Pulling it past her pointed ears, Sharanna found a dark blue bow that matched the suit and tied it into the pony tail quickly.  Grabbing her keys, watch, and a small attaché case containing paper, pencils, and a laptop, as well as a small purse, she walked out into the media room and glanced at the paper she had printed out the evening before.  Focusing her mind on the map of Oxford's campus, the dragon tapped into her spell-casting abilities and warped space around her, essentially altering her position from Scotland to just outside the main administration building on the university's campus.  Right after her senses returned to normal from the shift, Sharanna felt something hard impact her head.

Turning around angrily, the dragon swallowed the urge to summon up a bit of power.  Kneeling slightly, she picked up the rock that someone in the crowd behind her had just thrown at her head.  "Who threw this?" she asked quietly.  A younger man stepped out of the crowd, dressed in slacks and a dark shirt.  His dark eyes radiated hostility.

"I did, monster," he challenged.  She nodded, and then tossed the stone back to him.

"Why?" Sharanna replied.  "Why did you feel it necessary to do such a thing?"

"Because you don't belong here," he answered.  "Why do you think you can just walk into Oxford as if you have every right in the world to be here?"

"For one thing, I have been donating money to this institution for longer than you have been alive, child," Sharanna replied.  "Second, I do not appreciate being called a monster, particularly without cause."

"Cause?  Your very existence is cause enough," the man sneered.

"Really?" the dragon asked, setting down her purse and attaché case.  "Then I would, in theory, as a ravenous monster, be expected to kill you for throwing a rock at me," Sharanna explained mockingly.  She raised her hand to cut him off.  "Be quiet.  You will be civil, and I was not finished.  You will note that I have not harmed anyone or threatened a single individual.  And a monster is not defined by their race, but by their actions.  Hitler was a monster.  Stalin was a monster.  Vlad the Impaler was a monster.  I am not a monster.  I am simply someone different."  She noticed a motion in the crowd as someone looked like they were about to pick up another rock.  Summoning her power, the dragon felt her eyes start to glow slightly as she prepared a spell silently.  "I suggest that you reconsider any violence you may be about to commit, human.  I will not provoke a fight, but I will defend myself if necessary.  Do not choose to make it so," she added, her voice acquiring a slight hint of menace.  The person picking up another rock ignored her warning.  The rock was thrown... and it stopped in a spray of sparks as it impacted a glittering shield of energy in front of the dragon, just a few inches from her outstretched palm.  She lifted that hand and the rock-thrower was picked up off the ground and deposited in a tree.  "Does anyone else care to join him?" Sharanna asked, gesturing to the tree.  Heads were shaken, and Sharanna nodded in quiet satisfaction.  "Then I suggest you attend to your affairs," she continued, allowing a slight tone of command to slip free.  The crowd dispersed as the dragon bent down to pick up her purse and attaché case before smoothing her skirt and dropping the energy wall.  From his office, the Chancellor watched and hoped that this was the last of it.

* * *

Ami Mizuno looked at her luggage as she waited in line behind Michiru at Tokyo International Airport.  _I wonder what this year will bring,_ she reflected.  _A dragon appearing in Britain, at Oxford University in fact, and Pluto telling us about the past, and her own nature.  I don't know if things can get much weirder than this,_ she thought ruefully and oddly for her, incorrectly.  Reaching the clerk, Ami shook off her reflective mood and picked up her luggage to run through the X-ray scanner.  Finding nothing out of order, the clerk nodded to her and smiled.

"Go on, girl.  Your luggage will get there safe and sound," he told her.  "Enjoy your flight," he added as a parting comment.  Ami nodded, thanked him, and retrieved her carry-on bag, joining Michiru.

"Ready to go?" the older girl asked her.  Ami nodded.  "Something wrong?" Michiru added, noticing the expression on the younger girl's face.

Ami shook her head.  "Not really.  I'm just a little concerned about that dragon.  I don't know what to think, certainly not after what Setsuna told us the other night."

"I guess we just keep our eyes open and our heads down.  That dragon could be a powerful ally.  Still, I get the feeling Setsuna's not telling us everything," Michiru added.

Ami was feeling a bit cynical, and it showed.  "Does she ever?"

Michiru thought about it for a second, then the older girl shook her head.  "No, not really in my experience."  On that note, the pair found some seats to wait out the time until their flight was ready to board.

_Author's Note: Thank you to those who reviewed.  I appreciate your comments.  This is a chapter in transition, as the title indicates.  Things begin to pick up, but not everything is fights and blood._


	4. Strange Happenings

**A Mithral Dragon in Modern ****Britain******

**Chapter 3: Strange Happenings**

Sharanna sipped her orange juice as she looked over the printed schedule she'd obtained from the dean several days earlier.  _Hmm, good quality.  I guess that the grocer wasn't kidding that the Americans were better at this than the French_, she mused about the juice.  The dragon smiled and continued to judge the relative amount of work each would generate.  "Good morning, old friend," she greeted Setsuna as the latter stepped into the room, speaking with an American accent, and with American idiom.

"Good morning, Sharanna.  Or should I say, Shannon?" the green-haired elf asked, smiling slightly and shaking her head.

"And I was supposed to walk around with an elven name?" the dark-haired seeming-human answered.  Setsuna only chuckled.  "So what brings you to my humble abode, Setsuna?"

"I was just wondering how you were settling in.  What courses do you have?" Setsuna responded.

"Mostly sciences, with a course in pre-calculus," the dragon responded.  "They seem to be probing my knowledge of the natural world."

"Understandable.  Math doesn't change, and they want to know what your perspective on the sciences is," Setsuna replied as she glanced at the class.  "Of course, the Silver Millennium was more advanced than humanity is now in a few areas, and the ones that they weren't aren't touched on by introductory courses in physics, biology, or astronomy."  The elf paused for a moment.  "Be careful in that astronomy course.  The planets..."

"Are different.  I do own a telescope, Setsuna," Sharanna interrupted, raising an eyebrow.  Setsuna nodded and smiled.

"Enjoying the contemplation of your life here at Oxford?" Setsuna inquired.

"You mean at Rendelsham College?" Sharanna replied, getting a funny look.  "It's interesting, although I wonder how well the shuttle service works during the school year."  She stood up and motioned Setsuna over to the window.  "Look over there, see that road?" she asked.  Setsuna nodded, wondering what her friend's point was.  "That's Oxford Ringroad.  It goes around the majority of the university.  Rendelsham is on the outside of the Ringroad, and we've got a nice forest over that way," Sharanna added, gesturing towards a wall that contained her bedroom.

Setsuna smiled to herself as she looked around the suite and noted the three doors.  Sharanna hadn't decorated the common area of the room yet, so it was bare walled except for the large bookshelves that had been added.  "Your roommates should be arriving sometime tomorrow night," she added.

Sharanna snorted.  "I know, but it's this afternoon, not tomorrow night.  Guess who gets to borrow a Ford and pick them up at Heathrow?"  Shaking her head, the dragon laughed a little.  "Friends of yours?"

"You are," Setsuna pointed out.  "Isn't that enough?"

Sharanna gave the elf a withering look, and received an inscrutable gaze in return before shrugging.  "I am sure that whatever secret you're protecting will be clear enough in a few weeks."  Setsuna raised an eyebrow, but didn't give her friend any other response.  The phone chose that moment to ring.  "McCloud here.  What's up, boss?" she answered, her voice somewhat less formal, less... grave and powerful than was normal somehow.  "The flight got delayed?  Yeah, I know, big surprise for a plane coming out of JFK.  So when are they expected?  _What?! Three in the morning??!!_  Yeah, yeah, I'll be there.  _What?  _Some idiot made a bomb threat?  Several of them?  That's brilliant.  Anyway, I assume there's a truck waiting for me.  Good, I'll go pick it up in a couple of hours.  Yeah, I'll be fine.  Just have to make sure I find a nice large pot of coffee.  You still have that coffee maker in your room?  Good, make me a pot, leave it on a hot plate in the office," Sharanna requested.  "That way, I don't fall asleep at the wheel.  That would be a bad thing."  She hung the phone up with a perfunctory glare and sighed before giving Setsuna a look.  "You were right.  They will be here tomorrow night.  Some fool called in a bomb threat, and then decided to phone in a couple more to keep the authorities guessing."

Setsuna raised an eyebrow.  "Why do you ever doubt me?" she asked.  Then she saw the slightly malicious grin on her friend's face.

"'Oh, no, Minister.  I didn't have anything to do with the frog in the Queen's throne.'  'Oh, no, Minister.  I didn't sneak into the kitchens last night.'  Shall I continue?" Sharanna asked, on the verge of laughter.

"I was hoping you'd forgotten about those," Setsuna admitted, wincing slightly.

"After the way old Deuteronomy used to complain about them?" Sharanna asked, her blue eyes alive with mischief.  She ran a hand through the coal-black hair she wore in this form as she laughed.  "Right.  Any other delusions I should know about?"  Setsuna just shook her head, remembering precisely how sharp her friend's memory really was.  Setsuna looked back at her friend, catching a thoughtful look.  "If this is the Return, I am going to need an assistant," Sharanna opined, leaning back in her chair.

"Oh?  What makes you say that?" Setsuna answered.

"Quite simple.  The biggest problem that we are going to have is managing situations as they happen.  Things are going to start stirring, and neither the Senshi nor I can be on duty at all times.  We need someone to keep an eye on things.  Also, it would be nice to have someone here much of the time, someone I can talk to."  The dragon looked very old and lonely, and she sighed.  "Someone who remembers the old days, when dragons danced in the clouds with pegasi and the Moon was a beauty, the envy of the system."  Sharanna looked wistful, but shook it off.  "Do you remember those two stasis capsules I found?" she asked suddenly.  Setsuna nodded, wondering and half-suspecting where her friend was going with this.  "Luna and Artemis were in them, but you asked me not to release those two and took the capsules."  Sharanna gave her friend a look.  "Is there a chance that one of them, preferably Artemis, would be available to assist?"

Setsuna nodded.  "Yes, there is, but only a slight one.  Why Artemis, though?" Setsuna asked.

"First, Luna is likely too devoted to the Princess to leave.  Second, Artemis was another close friend, just as you are.  Third, knowing him, it will improve their relationship if he's at a safe distance.  Fourth, Luna and I do not react well if put together in a confined area under stress for too long," Sharanna pointed out, smiling.  "We may respect each other a great deal, and we are friends, but we get along better if we are not living together."

Setsuna smiled.  "Are you free this afternoon?" she asked, grinning slightly.

"Yes, why?" the dragon asked, giving her friend a strange look.

"Why don't we go see some old friends?" the Senshi of Pluto suggested.  Sharanna just gave her a funny look.

Ami sighed as she looked out of the motel room.  "Michiru...?" she asked quietly.  Not getting a response, she turned to look at the older girl, who was asleep in her bed.  The blue-haired girl sighed.  "I wish I could fall asleep that easily," she said to herself, looking out the window.  _Three o'clock__ in the morning, and I can't sleep.  I hate jet lag,_ she thought to herself.  _Well, I might as well go take a walk.  I'll probably be able to sleep on the plane later._  She pulled on her jacket and headed out of the room, pausing to write a short note to Michiru.

As the girl walked through Central Park, she paused to look up at the moon.  _Full moon tonight,_ she mused.  _I wonder what the others are doing right now._  She sighed and continued walking, before she heard a shriek, though of fear or rage, she couldn't tell.  Glancing around, she made sure that there wasn't anyone watching before she took out her pen and transformed.  Mercury quickly moved in the direction of the scream and pulled out her computer to find out what was going on.  As she got closer, she heard another scream, lower in pitch.  Skidding around the hill that had obscured the situation from her scrutiny before, Mercury's eyes widened at the sight before her.  A rather seedy-looking man was sprawled out on the ground, staring up at the strange being standing over him.

"How dare you!" the female shrieked.  She looked down at the human at her feet, who was gasping at the fey and beautiful features she wore.  Her hair was long and pale green, and she wore an expression of anger and loathing, sparks dancing in her silver eyes.  "I am not property, nor do I wish your attentions!"

Mercury chose that time to make her presence known.  "Stop, now," the warrior of ice ordered the strange being.

"Why?  This human assaulted me, wanted to rape me!  Why shouldn't I do something about it?" the fey asked.

"Because killing someone doesn't solve the problem, it only creates more violence," Mercury answered.  "And you sing, you do not fight," she added, noticing the guitar the fey girl had dropped.

The fey blinked, and then she laughed slightly.  "Who said anything about killing him?  I was only going to give him a compulsion to turn himself in to the police and confess his crimes," she explained, reaching for her guitar.

Mercury frowned.  "While that does sound like a good idea, I'm afraid that I can't permit anyone to simply place enchantments on humans without good cause _and_ my own knowledge of what they are doing," the Senshi replied.

The fey almost looked as though she wanted to laugh.  "You want a good cause?  Assault and attempted rape will work well enough in my opinion.  For knowledge, listen to my song," the fey instructed.  "Bards cannot cast a spell without a song, particularly enchantments."  With that, the girl picked up her guitar, strummed a chord, and began to play with a haunting voice made still more powerful by an undercurrent of anger and resentment.

_"Criminal, does of wrongs,_

_Go to the constables and admit to the list of sins you have built,_

_Bring to them confession_

_Of all that they can punish you for and would bring another guilt."_

She finished playing and Mercury shook off the haunting song, watching as the man collected his things.  "Is that really going to work?"

The fey girl looked at her and considered the question.  "For the next few hours, certainly, but beyond that?  Compulsions like this vary too much based on the mind they are forced upon for me to be at all certain."  She shrugged and picked up the guitar case.  "Care to join me?  I was just going to play a little concert in the park."  Mercury nodded warily, afraid that she would also have a spell cast on her.

The girl laughed again.  "Just a concert.  I promise.  Believe me, you'll _know_ if I try to cast a spell on you.  Besides, you're one of those Sailor Scouts, aren't you?" she asked after they had walked a while in silence, looking at the girl.

"Senshi.  We're called Senshi.  Not Scout, not Sailor," Mercury corrected.  "The first is a translation mistake, and the second is just a plain mistake," she added in explanation.  "We're not infallible."

"No one but the gods is.  Except maybe dragons.  But fey aren't, neither are elves.  I should know," she added.  "My name is Euterpe, like the Greek Muse.  What's yours?" she asked.

"Senshi Mercury," was the only reply she got.

"You're a little... female to be Mercury, aren't you?" Euterpe asked, grinning impishly at the dirty look she received as the pair sat down on the small castle at the heart of Central Park.  "I thought you guys only worked in Japan, anyway."

"I'm on my way somewhere else.  Problems at the airport, you see," Mercury explained.

"Oh.  The bomb threats.  I bet you're going to Oxford, aren't you?" the fey asked.

Mercury blanched.  "How did you figure _that_ out?!" she demanded.

"The dragon," Euterpe pointed out.  "But..." she trailed off as something occurred to her, "I bet you're really attending."  Mercury shook her head quickly, and the fey bard grinned.  "You are, aren't you?"

Mercury's shoulders slumped, and she nodded forlornly.  "Don't tell anyone, please."

Euterpe nodded.  "I'm attending there too.  I wonder if we're roommates," she asked, looking up at the stars.

"Trust me, we're not," Mercury answered.

"Too bad.  Anyway, I'll look you up when we get on the plane," the fey said.

Mercury's eyes widened.  _Bad, very bad.  If she puts two and two together, she'll figure out who I am, and probably Michiru as well!_ she thought excitedly, her heart racing.  "No, no, that's all right," she assured the fey, who looked at her.

"Trust me.  I won't tell anyone who you are, Mercury.  Besides, if I introduce myself, and tell you who I am, won't you have just as big a secret on me?" the fey pointed out.  Mercury nodded slightly, but she still didn't look reassured.  "So, want to hear a song?"

Mercury relaxed slightly, and nodded.  "What do you know?"

Euterpe grinned.  "How about "The Dance" by Garth Brooks?" she asked, pulling out her guitar from the case she had set down beside her.  Mercury nodded and leaned back slightly against the wall.  Strumming a short chord to warm up, the fey then launched into a song.

_"Looking back on the memory of   
The dance we shared 'neath the stars alone   
For a moment all the world was right   
How could I have known that you'd ever say goodbye   
  
And now I'm glad I didn't know   
The way it all would end the way it all would go   
Our lives are better left to chance I could have missed the pain   
But I'd of had to miss the dance   
  
Holding you I held everything   
For a moment wasn't I a king   
But if I'd only known how the king would fall   
Hey who's to say you know I might have chanced it all   
  
And now I'm glad I didn't know   
The way it all would end the way it all would go   
Our lives are better left to chance I could have missed the pain   
But I'd of had to miss the dance   
  
Yes my life is better left to chance   
I could have missed the pain but I'd of had to miss the dance"_

Euterpe continued playing long after she had stopped singing.  The feel of the sound made Mercury think of a piano as she listened.  After she played the final chord of the sad song and set down the guitar.  Mercury shook off the melancholy and stared out into the park.  She started to say something, but then caught a bit of motion in the corner of her eye.  "Did you see that?" she asked as she looked over into the woods.

Euterpe smiled.  "A late night concert in _this _park, near _that_ tree, sung by a faerie bard, and you expect nothing to happen?" she asked, grinning.  "That was a pixie.  I think," she added, peering in the direction of the tentative pixie.

Mercury frowned.  "You think?" she asked, turning a look on her new friend.

Euterpe shrugged.  "I'm not close enough to tell, really."

Mercury shook her head and settled back.  "Play another song, please.  We seem to have some time."  And with that, a new friendship started.

_Author's Note: As far as I know, Rendelsham is fictional.  I don't know enough about Oxford itself to work with any of the established colleges or halls for living space, so I created Rendelsham as an international and overflow residence unit, also teaching a few esoteric language courses and international relations and history._

_For those who are curious, Euterpe really is a Greek Muse, specifically, the muse of music._


	5. Demon Knight Opening

_Author's Note: I was asked if there would be action. Yes, there will be, but this is less action-oriented. Believe me, however, the action starts soon. However, life-and-death situations are going to be relatively few and far between, due to the power levels involved. Not so much Sharanna's as the enemy's. Sharanna is very powerful, but much of her danger to the Senshi comes form her choice of tactics and the fact she doesn't share their notion of fair play, along with the fact that unlike the Senshi, she always has some sort of preparations laid for a fight rather than charging in blindly. It should be remembered that we are dealing with someone who could kick Kunzite around for amusement, but then, at this point, so could the Senshi themselves, especially the Outers._

_There are going to be a few cat-and-mouse games played with the opposition, however, and some of them will be quite spectacular._

**A Mithral Dragon in Modern ****Britain**  
**Chapter 5: Demon Knight Opening**

Ami yawned as she stared blearily out at the morning sunlight and watched Michiru eat her breakfast. Michiru raised an inquisitive eyebrow as she looked at the younger Senshi. "What's with you this morning?" Michiru asked, looking over her sister-at-arms.

"I didn't sleep well, that's all," Ami answered, hesitant to discuss Euterpe.

Michiru looked at her, the preternatural senses she had gained from the Mirror tipping her off that Ami was hiding something. "What's the problem?" she asked again.

Ami frowned, wondering how best to answer the question when there was a knock at the door. When Michiru opened the door, Ami cringed slightly as she realized who the brunette probably was. _I really don't need this,_ she thought as she considered the girl before them. She looked a little tired but no worse for the experience. Her grey eyes had a mischievous twinkle to them as she looked around before answering Michiru's question.

"I'm Rachel Valentine," she introduced herself, holding her hand out to the water Senshi. "I heard you guys were also going to Oxford," Rachel added.

"Yes, we are," Michiru answered, frowning slightly, though whether from her first encounter with an over-active American or from the feelings the girl was emanating was something even she wasn't sure of. Ami groaned and pulled the covers over her head, hoping she hadn't been seen. Michiru tossed her friend an odd look before inviting the American in. "Pardon my friend. She seems to have come down with something," Michiru explained to the girl, giving the bed covers a very odd look.Ami groaned something from underneath before Michiru just shook her head and yanked the covers off before Ami could react. "Get up, Ami-chan," she chided. "We've got a guest." Ami rolled over without saying anything and stuck her head under the pillow before Rachel could get a good look. Michiru frowned and tossed the covers back on her with a sigh. "I really don't know what's gotten into her, I'm sorry, Valentine-san," Michiru apologized for her friend.

Rachel shrugged. "I can understand the feeling. There have been mornings I felt like that, too." She stepped over to the small table and took the offered glass of ice water from Michiru. "I know how to get her up, if you want," she added with a mischievous grin.

"Michiru looked at Rachel, looked at the ice water, and looked back at Rachel. "No, I don't thing that will be necessary," Michiru answered after a moment's consideration. "So, which college are you staying in?" she asked, probing the girl, still getting some unusual feelings from the girl. _Where is Rei the one time I actually need her?_ Michiru griped to herself for a moment while Rachel collected her thoughts.

Rendelsham College, sixth floor," Rachel answered after a moment's hesitation. "I hear that the dragon's staying in our dorm," she added with an air of excitement. Michiru winced before she noticed Rachel's curious look.

"Don't ask. Just don't ask," Michiru answered. "Let's just say there is more to the situation than you know. More than any human knows," she added quietly, almost so quietly that Rachel didn't catch it. Rachel raised an eyebrow but she didn't otherwise choose to respond. They were silent for a minute or two before Ami stuck her head out form under the covers... at the same time Rachel happened to glance in her direction. The American didn't say anything but she did give the blue-haired girl a friendly smile before turning her attention back to Michiru. Ami sighed and got out of bed, glaring at the brunette as she got out some clothes to take a shower. She steadfastly ignored Rachel's intense gaze and Michiru's curious stare. "I really don't know what her problem is," Michiru sighed, wondering at the antics of her blue-haired friend.

Rachel smiled slightly and muttered something in a soft, musical language that Michiru wasn't able to understand. She looked at the girl, but all she got in response was an enigmatic smile. Michiru raised an eyebrow and considered her appearance before asking a question of the girl's planned course of study. "Music. Probably a double-major in history and music, but definitely a music major. It's easier to do in England, too. For one thing, your courses are more valuable," she added with an impish grin.

'Valuable?" Michiru asked. "They're more expensive?"

Rachel shook her head. "No. They count for more credit hours than most equivalent courses in the U.S. do." Michiru nodded as she realized what the girl meant.

"A dozen meanings for every word," Michiru murmured quietly. Rachel smiled and nodded.

"Isn't it wonderful?" she added, grinning. She just laughed when Michiru gave her a dirty look. The pair continued talking for some time, joined by Ami, who proceeded to quietly sweat as she considered just what the girl would reveal about her. In the end, it was nothing, but she got a couple of amused looks from the brunette.

Sharanna frowned as she stared at a set of numbers on her laptop, results from her latest tests. _I was afraid of this,_ she thought to herself as the results of the experiment played across her screen. Sharanna sighed as she called up the basic weave of the spell and examined it mentally. A soft knock at her door startled her as she glanced at the clock. _Only __eleven o'clock__ in the morning? I wonder who that is._

"Good day to you," she greeted her guest as Artemis glanced at her. "Oh, Melissa, was it? What's up?" Shannon asked, switching gears mentally.

"Yes. I was just wondering would you mind if I had lunch with you? I'd like someone to talk to," Melissa added. She looked nervous and something was obviously playing on her mind.

"I'd be happy to talk to you," Shannon replied, "but I just had lunch a little while ago with an old friend who was in town."

Melissa looked disappointed. "Oh. Oh well."

Shannon frowned slightly. "Come on in. What's on your mind?"

Melissa sighed and shook her head. "Never mind. It's not important."

Shannon frowned as the girl turned around and scampered off. She looked over her shoulder at the cat sitting in her chair. "Any part of that seem unusual to you, Artemis?"

Artemis laughed as she closed the door. "What part didn't would be a better question," he added, his soft humor causing her to smile briefly.

Shannon shook her head. "That's it. I'm going down to the office and getting the files for my floor. There is something strange going on. You want to come meet my boss?" she asked, smiling.

"I just can't see you answering to a human," Artemis answered, hopping on her shoulder as she scooped up her laptop, closing it as she walked out the door. "This, I have to see."

Shannon laughed as she closed her door and locked it. As she walked down the stairs, she mentally reviewed her knowledge of Melissa Bakker. _Let's see, dual-citizenship in __America__ and the __UK__ from an old Scottish noble family, very high IQ, sixteen, regularly visits her mother's family in __Scotland__. Her parents are divorced, __U.S.__ with her father. She's also shy and nervous,_ the dragon added to her mental notes. She thought over the other problem on her mind as she went down the stairs.

Artemis noticed the look on her face as she got to the bottom of the stairs. "Something wrong?" he muttered under his breath.

"Remember my old starcaster experiments?" she asked. He nodded. "I've restarted the testing, but the spells aren't working properly," she sighed. "I know how to get the system to work, but it simply doesn't respond to the input. The spells aren't initializing on command from the computers."

Artemis cocked an eyebrow. "Any likely solutions?"

"Yes," Sharanna growled, irritated. "Building the computers from scratch and inlaying them with magic as I do it. That is not an easy task," she added, annoyed.

Artemis laughed. "And of course, you have to support all of this out of your own pocket," he pointed out, snickering at the look on her face.

"Yes, and I have more resources available to me now than I did then." Artemis blinked and almost asked how that was possible, but Sharanna continued before he could. "More time, and the fact that I can use far more in the way of materials as long as I can pay for them," Sharanna pointed out. "And as an alchemist, that is really not a problem in this day and age." Artemis chuckled softly.

"Lead to gold and all that?" he asked, smiling. Sharanna laughed as she reached the office and glanced in.

"Will? Are you here?" she asked quietly, noticing that the lights were on.

"Yes, my dear," the director of the dormitory responded. William Markham was in his late thirties, dark-haired with a few streaks of grey, and had intense grey eyes. At the moment, they were scrutinizing the cat sitting on Shannon's shoulder. "New cat?" he asked, smiling at the creature as he walked over.

"No, he's pretty old, actually," Shannon responded, mischief in her voice. Will laughed and reached up to scratch the cat, who purred a little. "As for my... providing him with a home, yes, that is a new condition," she admitted when Will gave her a look. "I came down to get the files on my residents."

"Oh? I wasn't planning to distribute those until all of the RAs were here, along with the residents," Will reminded her.

"We should be the only two in the building, except for Michael over on 4A, I know, but I've got a resident on my floor right now," Shannon explained. "And I think there's something wrong in her family," she added, frowning.

Will sighed. "First the bloody dragon is admitted to this college, _this_ building and they don't even have the courtesy to tell me who it is, and now this. What did we do to deserve this?" he asked rhetorically.

Said dragon laughed, and Artemis had to bite his tongue to keep from doing the same. Will just looked at the RA. "Speak of the devil," he commented as he looked over Shannon's shoulder. "Morning, Mike."

"Good morning sir, lady," Michael O'Connor replied, looking at his raven-haired coworker and smiling. Artemis suppressed a snicker as he noticed the young man's actions, knowing that Lucifer would be shoveling snow to get to his mailbox before Sharanna responded to a human's advances. Flirt with an elf, yes, she would and had done so. A human, not likely, let alone actually dating one. She'd never had a very high opinion of humanity in general, though she didn't mind them on an individual level. Their actions towards the end of Age of Silver hadn't helped matters, nor did the Nazis during World War II whom she had dealt with.

"Hello, Mike," Shannon answered. "What's up?" she asked as she moved over to the computer and linked it to her own with a small cable.

"Just seeing what we had to do today," he said, watching her. Artemis leapt off her shoulder onto the desk and watched the human in turn. "Whose floor do you think they put the dragon on?" he asked.

Shannon shrugged. "Well, if they didn't see fit to tell us, I don't see why we should worry about it. I mean, she did decide to attend and agreed that her RA would be informed as to who she was, so why does it matter?" She shook her head as she looked through the files. "Besides, it could be pretty funny watching everyone running around trying to figure out who the dragon is."

"You act like you already know," Michael accused, giving her a look.

"Maybe I do," she said as she turned around to face, an 'I've got a secret' tone in her voice. "Or maybe I don't," she added in a sing-song style. He frowned and muttered something under his breath about 'bloody annoying Yanks.' "I'm not from New York, Mike," she replied smoothly as she finished up the transfer. "I am most assuredly not a Yankee. Heck, I don't even like the Yankees," she added, twisting the knife as he growled. He gave her a look, but didn't comment any further. Shannon smiled cheekily as she removed the cable and headed up to her room, Artemis following at her heels. "Artemis, why don't we forget these experiments for the moment? I feel like having a nice relaxing day, followed by a long nap in the afternoon so I don't fall asleep driving tonight," she told the small white cat as she stroked his fur and scratched him behind his ears. Artemis started purring and clawed her jeans as she sat down, getting comfortable. Then she swore in Dwarven as she felt something... supernaturally malicious nearby. Artemis heard her and perked up just before she stood, forgetting that the cat was in her lap. He tumbled to the floor and gave her a dirty look as she recited a short, simple spell. He turned around and watched as the dragon invoked her shapeshifting abilities to turn into a silver-haired elf as her clothing shifted to a long, dark blue cloak shimmering with a hint of silver, a silvery-white tunic trimmed in blue, with a stylized dragon outline over a four-pointed star.  Her trousers were blue, trimmed with white A sword scabbard materialized by her side and a belt not unlike Batman's appeared around her waist, the color of moss growing wild in the forest.

"What, no cheap boomerang knock-off?" he asked sarcastically. The dragon-turned-elf gave him a look, then made a short gesture with her hand. Artemis's eyes bugged out as he was levitated into her arms.

"You're coming with me," Sharanna said in a soft alto as she leapt out the now-open window and dropped to the ground... six floors below. Glancing out his window, Michael O'Conner turned away, then did a double-take and stared at the blue-cloaked figure on the ground.

_Now where have I heard of someone like that?_ the Irishman thought to himself, watching the mage cast a very quick spell before rippling out of existence.

Sharanna relaxed slightly as she arrived at the point she had marked the week before. "Artemis, keep your eyes open. I have no idea what is loose on the campus," she told the cat quietly, looking around herself. The target wasn't hard to spot. Something in spiked black armor trimmed in red stood next to a large black horse, his dark blade dripping with blood. It may have been male, but it clearly was not human, with a pair of dark red, scaly bat's wings that tinted to black as one looked further down their length. _A nightmare.__ A demon riding a nightmare. Just what I needed to make my day better,_ Sharanna complained to herself before getting to work.

"Aren't you going to do something, like challenge him?" Artemis hissed, looking at her as she stood there, thinking.

"Why? So he can take a swing at me with that sword?" Sharanna asked as she pulled something out of a dimensional storage space. She smiled as she produced a rather large rifle. "After all, why let him know where I am?" Artemis's eyes widened as she carefully knelt down and aimed the massive sniper rifle.

"What is that thing?!" the cat demanded.

".50-caliber sniper rifle," Sharanna answered absently as she took aim at the nightmare. "Let's see if we can cut the problem down to size," she added, slightly amused, before firing. The effects were decidedly impressive, to say the least. The demon-knight turned at the sound from the rifle, he was heard to yell something as his mount's head exploded in a cloud of blood that dissolved before it hit the ground. A second shot impacted with the nightmare's body, further spewing dissolving gore across the area. The fiendish horse dropped and dissolved into a thick cloud of dark, viscous red smoke. Sharanna sighted the rifle again, then jumped away as the demon made an arcane gesture, dropping her gun in the process and drawing her sword. The place she had been kneeling was enveloped in black flames.

"Impressive, little elf," the demon bit out in deep, grating voice that promised misery and pain. "I will see you dead, your broken body before me at my master's feet." It drew the sword, a bastard sword, that the creature wielded in one hand with ease.

"Nice toy, demon. Tell me your master's name so I know where to send the casket," Sharanna replied, smiling slightly. _This idiot has no idea what I am. Good for me,_ she added, smiling mentally.

"I am Belran'il'ka, knight in service to the Lord of Midnight," he announced. Sharanna frowned at the answer.

_Note to self: investigate the Lord of __Midnight__. This could be important,_ Sharanna thought to herself as she considered her opponent. She nodded in response to his statement after a moment. "Then tell me this. Why are you here? What reason does your master have for entering this Realm?" she asked.

"I would normally answer no question from any mortal power," Belran'il'ka replied in his gravelly voice. "But, since it matters little, as my master will be victorious in the end, I will tell you, elf. My master wishes to take this place, to take it and corrupt it to his ends."

Sharanna nodded in recognition. "Very well, then, knight. Your master will learn his lesson soon enough." She smiled viciously. "Of course, if he hasn't figured that out by then, I suppose he's not quite as intelligent as you give him credit for."

"You will pay for your arrogance, elf," was the only response she received. Verbally, at least. Belran'il'ka raised his sword and charged at Sharanna, who gracefully stepped out of the way, her cloak billowing around her.

"You need to work on your aim," she taunted, smiling viciously. "I'm over here." She danced in and struck the demon, her sword flashing with a brilliant white light as the entire blade sparked into an electric silver flame shot with blue and gold at her mental command. She twisted around and drove blade into his side, the holy flames of the sparking blade cutting effortlessly through the demon's armor. He screamed in rage as the icy flames touched his scaled, leathery skin.

"Flames do not freeze, little elf," the demon knight screamed in rage. "They burn and consume!" he roared as he swung his blade at the elf. Sharanna brought her blade into the path and turned the swing away with a skillful parry. The two swords, each strongly aligned to their own cause, almost screamed in rage as they came into contact, and sparks, silver, black, blue, and red, almost at the same time, flew from the two blades. The two combatants took a step back and circled each other warily. Sharanna stepped further back and readied her powers.

_So he doesn't like cold, does he?_ she asked herself. _Let's see how he likes this!_ she thought savagely to herself. She opener her mouth as her eyes glowed a bright blue, tiny wisps of raw power dancing from the edges as she let loose a low, terrifying growl. At the same time, the dragon brought her hands up, holding the blade in both, as energy gathered along it's length. She let loose a feral roar as the energy released, turning into a bluish-white cone that dramatically dropped the temperature around them. It arced out at a 45-degree angle, releasing some of it's fury into the ground and leaving a coating of frost. The wisps of power danced as small parts of the cone sparkled in the brief moment before the cone slammed into Belran'il'ka, creating a solid casing of ice around him as Sharanna's shoulders slumped for a moment from the effort.

Belran'il'ka's form glowed with dark flames as the ice melted off. He advanced a wavering step before Sharanna dashed forward and made a quick, vicious slash. His helmet fell to the ground as wisps of dark smoke emerged from the armor. The demonic armor clattered to the ground, smoking slightly as it landed in a pile. The demonic sword landed a split second later, glowing malevolently.

Sharanna sighed quietly as Artemis walked over. "What was that thing?" he asked quietly.

"It's gone now."

"But it's not over," Artemis replied cautiously.

"I know," Sharanna replied. "Our new enemy has made the first move, opening with a knight. Now we must determine what piece to respond with." She shook her head. "We need to talk with Pluto. She might be able to offer us some information. If not, I have other contacts I can call." She sighed and looked into the distance. "I fear that this game has only just begun."

_Author's Notes: Sorry about the long time between updates, but things at school have been a bit hectic as of late._

_Rendelsham is a six-story building with a two-story basement. There are classrooms, laundry facilities, and lobbies in the basements and on the first floor, along with a storage area for certain equipment (cleaning supplies, pool equipment, and some office supplies the RAs sell, primarily), while the top five floors are residence, with a conference room and a pair of study rooms on each floor. A central elevator services the building, in a lobby between each wing._

_Dragons have an enormous range in their voices, particularly the shapeshifters like silver, gold, and mithral dragons, and can change the pitch of their voices with little difficulty. Female dragons have a wider range than males, as they can reach much higher pitches, though males generally have a full octave below the female's range. The precise range varies by species and individual, and a few individuals, with training, can force their voices into multiharmonic tones, though this requires a conscious invocation of magic. Sharanna is not one of them, as she lacks the training, or the interest, for that matter._

_Dragonstar__ is very camera shy and with the fact that she has friends in several governments dating back to World War II she does not make the news nearly as much as the Senshi tended to._


	6. Arrival and Discovery

**A Mithral Dragon in Modern ****Britain******

**Part 6: Arrival and Discovery**

Sharanna frowned as she considered the situation.  _Just what we all needed, a new threat.  The Lord of __Midnight__._  She sighed for a moment after the name and stopped to evaluate the situation.  _First things first.  I need to get in contact with Setsuna and find out if she knows anything.  Then, I need to get in contact with Vix'nok.  I might be dealing with a fiend, but at least I'll get a straight answer.  Maybe the Council could help._  She sighed again and started thinking about how to get in touch with that enigmatic, paranoid group so as to get some real assistance.  For some reason, they liked her enough to give her straight answers on most subjects, if they answered.  In fact, her dealings with Vix'nok had come about from them.  In any case, they probably didn't have anything to do with this, as it didn't seem large enough to attract their attention.  _First things first,_ she admitted and pulled out her cell phone.  She dialed in a couple of numbers that accessed her Eyrie's computers.  "Aurora, are you there?" she asked the daemon, as such spirits acted as the AI in most large Age of Silver computer systems.  They were the largest difference in the systems from their modern counterparts, in fact, in fact, but the system architecture was also incredibly different.

"Of course I'm here," Aurora answered testily.  "Where else would I be?" the AI asked rhetorically, her cross tone making the dragon smile for a moment.

"Something wrong?" Sharanna inquired.

"Just some idiot trying to hack into our systems.  These fools are getting on my nerves, Sharanna," she informed her mistress.  "They aren't doing any damage, but it gets old trying to deal with them for a long period of time."

Sharanna was quite familiar with the nature of 'her' daemon and just how cranky she got when left alone too long without something to do.  _They're like humans, really.  They work better if they're given something to do._  "Well, I want you to do a search, both on the Internet and the old Royal Archives that Pluto arranged for you to have access to.  Search terms: Lord of Midnight, Belran'il'ka.  Both individually and together."

"Yes, ma'am," Aurora responded, noting how serious her mistress's tone was on that last part.  "What happened?"

"I'm sure it will make the news," Sharanna replied, looking at the cluster of reporters below the bluff she was watching them from.  "Don't be surprised if you hear something about gunshots."

"Gunshots?  What?  Who'd you shoot?" the daemon asked, somewhere between fear and excitement.

"A rather annoying horse," Sharanna answered as Artemis looked up at her.  "Also, patch me in to Pluto."

Aurora acknowledged the order and then she heard a distinct series of tones as the interfaces between the phone lines and the older, Silver Age equipment pinged a bit as Aurora initialized them and set in a 'call' to Senshi Pluto.  "Setsuna, are you there?" the dragon asked quietly.  "Ah, so you saw, I take it.  No, no, I don't need any help right now, the problem has been dealt with.  What I need you to do is simple: see if you can find any information about the Lord of Midnight or Belran'il'ka in relation to the Great Hells."  She listened to the response for a moment.  "Yes, I need it immediately.  We could have a situation on our hands down here.  A very large one.  If this is a prelude to a full scale invasion..." the dragon trailed off and listened to Setsuna's curious reply.  "Of course I'm going to call Century House and the Defense Ministry.  Why not tell them we could be on the edge of a rather large extra-planar incident?  I'm probably the only person they'd listen to on something like this, anyway.  Good, good.  Next, are there any Senshi in the group of Japanese students coming to Oxford this semester?"  She got a rather sharp answer in response and winced.  "I know this is not a secure line, Setsuna.  I'll let Artemis find them but can I expect some help if this situation gets worse?  Good."  She hung up and glanced at Artemis as she caught his expression.

"Where to next?  London?" he asked quietly as he watched her.

Sharanna shook her head.  "No.  For now, we need to get to the Safety Office.  The agreement that allows me to attend requires that I notify them as soon as possible if I perceive a 'paranormal threat' to the campus.  I'd say that a possible impending invasion by demons qualifies, wouldn't you?" she asked rhetorically.  She motioned for Artemis to jump on her shoulder.

"Here we go again," he muttered to himself as the pair teleported to the Safety Office.  "I hate this..." he trailed off as tendrils of ethereal energy wrapped around the pair and then they shifted through ethereal space to somewhere not of this world.

*****

Ami yawned as she sat on the flight out of JFK International.  _This is going to be a long trip,_ she thought to herself.  She glanced at the girl sitting next to her, who gave her a happy smile.  _Especially with her around,_ she thought resignedly.  Her opinion of being crammed into a flying sardine can for a large period of time was not improved by being short of sleep or paranoid about the security of her identity.  She jumped when Rachel tapped her on the shoulder.  "What?" she asked tiredly.

"I was just wondering if you were all right," Rachel told her, giving her a funny look.

Ami sighed.  "I'm just tired."

Rachel raised an eyebrow, giving her a strange look.  "That's not all, Ami.  I'm a hou'ri, not a fool," she countered in heavily-accented Japanese.

"Fine.  I'm worried that you'll blow my secret, is that better?" Ami retorted sharply in the same language, drawing a few looks from the other passengers.

Rachel glared at a few of them and they looked away before she turned her attention back to Ami.  "Ami, I have absolutely no intention of ever doing something like that.  I told you as much last night."  She sighed and looked past the blue-haired girl through the window.  "Look, I am not your enemy.  In fact, I thought we were well on our way to becoming friends.  And friends don't tell secrets like that, especially ones that could get people killed.  That's simply not decent, reasonable behavior."

Ami sighed.  "I suppose you have a point.  It's unnerving," she added.

Rachel nodded.  "I can understand that.  But you needn't fear me.  Besides, at least you're human," the half-fey pointed out.  Ami nodded suspiciously.  "If I don't wear a glamour every time I go out in public, I get swarmed.  And we won't even talk about trying to find good earmuffs," she added, grinning.  Ami laughed in spite of herself and settled down a little bit.

"So, where are you really from, Rachel?" Ami asked cautiously.

"My father is from Avalon, where the elves retreated after the Twilight fell and the Long Night began," Rachel replied, thinking quietly.  "As for my mother, she's from the Shadow Woods region of Montana.  I keep forgetting the human name for the area," she added.

"And your parents were... hou'ri like you?" Ami asked quietly.

Rachel laughed lightly.  "No, no.  A hou'ri is the elven name for a hybrid of an elf and a nymph," the girl explained.  "Technically a daughter of the fey, but with far closer ties to the mortal Realm than most, as are many of the children of elves and their fey cousins," she added, her tone taking on a lyrical timbre.  At the same time, her accent faded slightly and became highly musical, but also archaic.  Ami noticed and watched her cautiously as the fey girl closed her eyes, thinking deeply.  "Euterpe is my name amongst the fey, and the original Euterpe is actually a distant cousin of my mother's," she added.  "I use the name Rachel Valentine among your kind to avoid suspicions."

Ami looked at her curiously, noting the changes in her accent.  "When did you discover your love of music?" she asked, beginning a longer period as the pair built trust on top of a tenuous but durable bond of friendship.

*****

"Do I look like I am speaking in jest, Commissioner?" Sharanna demanded, holding up Belran'il'ka's infernal blade and putting point in the face of Steffan O'Toole, Oxford's Safety Commissioner.  It dripped with dark ichor and the dragon growled at the look on the human's face.  "I am not a fool or easily deceived, O'Toole.  This is not a joke or a prank.  We may be on the verge of a serious problem."

O'Toole snorted.  "You're talking about dealing with an invasion, girl, and you only call it 'a serious problem'?"  He laughed.  "Do I want to know what you would call a crisis?" he asked derisively.

Artemis winced as the growl from Sharanna suddenly dropped in pitch and rose in volume before she grabbed the human one-handed.  "Why don't I show you?" she suggested before teleporting somewhere else.  The feline sighed before slumping down and starting to clean his claws, not knowing how long it would be until Sharanna returned after making her point.

"Sir, there's a call for you from..." the secretary trailed off, noting the distinct lack of both commissioner and the elf-woman that had breeze3d past her a few minutes ago.  "Where did they go?" the young woman asked, looking around.

Artemis chuckled.  "You wouldn't believe me if I told you," he commented softly, just below the normal threshold of human hearing.

"You didn't just say something, did you, little kitty?" the secretary asked, staring at him.

"No, I didn't say a thing.  This is just your imagination saying you need to get out more, take a vacation maybe," Artemis commented.  "Of course there's not a talking cat on the table.  That's impossible."

The secretary nodded and backed out of the room.  "Right, right.  I'll, um, just take the rest of the week off," she agreed, stuttered.  "After all, I'm obviously under too much stress, right?"

"Right," Artemis replied, smiling slightly.  He laughed as he watched the secretary literally run through the door.

He looked up several minutes later as a flash of light filled the room.  "... and that is what I call a crisis!" Sharanna finished the statement she'd been making before they teleported back.  The commissioner looked a little green, but he nodded.

"I think I believe you," he replied shakily, his pale complexion flushed.  "In that case, what do you recommend?"

Sharanna sighed.  "First of all, make sure your officers are up to standards and think about raising them.  Also, issue firearms to them.  I will alert certain friends within the government of your need of special ammunition, and see to it that they allow you requisition more if needed.  The commissioner nodded, sighing heavily.

"Do you have any idea how much trouble that will be?" he asked.  "They're trained to shoot, yes.  But the government..."

Sharanna cut him off.  "Will do exactly what I tell them to do.  I am the only expert they have on such matters, and unfortunately, my attention and presence will be required here, as this area looks as if it will be the focal point of any attempted invasion."

The commissioner nodded.  "Fine, fine.  I'll get my officers guns.  Anything else?"

"Yes.  Contact me at this number immediately if anything happens.  At any time.  We need to be on watch.  There are others coming to Oxford, allies, and far too many defenseless innocents.  We must defend them," Sharanna replied, handing him a business card.  "The first number will put you in touch with Her Majesty's Secret Service.  Ask for the Omega Office and tell them what has happened, and that Starsong will be in contact shortly."

*****

'So, Ami, what's your favorite part of coming to England?" Rachel asked, leaning back in her seat.

Ami smiled slightly.  "Getting to see my father more often," she answered.

"Oh?" Rachel asked.  "He's British?" she continued, noticing a few things she hadn't picked up on before, such as Ami's complexion and her facial features.

Ami shook her head.  "No, German.  But he's attached to the German Embassy in London, so I'll get to see him more often.  I haven't really spent much time with him in four or five years," she admitted quietly.

Rachel winced.  "My apologies.  This is the first time I'll have been away from my parents for any real length of time."

Ami smiled bitterly.  "Trust me, I can tell you what it's like," she replied, closing her eyes.  "With both parents.  I barely ever see my father and my mother works so much that there are months I might as well live alone sometimes."

Rachel looked over at the girl.  "Maybe you'd like to help me get through it then?" she asked, as much to distract Ami as for any other reason.

Ami smiled a little.  "Sure.  I'm sure we could all use a friend.  And Michiru could probably use someone to practice with," she added softly before perking up a little bit.  "There are some stories I'd love to tell you but really shouldn't be told in a public area."

"Security?" Rachel asked.

"Security," Ami confirmed, seeming to drift a bit into sadness.

Rachel sighed.  "Do you know anything about the dragon?" she asked finally to get Ami out of the seemingly morose mood she was drifting into.  Ami yawned loudly all of a sudden as she thought about it.  _Okay, I gues she's just tired,_ Rachel though to herself.

"Some.  We have a friend in common.  Someone a little like you," Ami added.  The look on Rachel's face was classic.  But she didn't have a chance to respond, as the pilot chose that moment to start his descent into Heathrow, and doing so, brought four girls into the wilderness.

_Author's Note: Demon, daimon, and daemon are three separate things in this story.  A daimon is an artificially created demon (a la SMS), a daemon is a type of spirit that the Silver Age technomancers bound, with the spirit's agreement, into large computer systems to increase efficiency and awareness, and a demon is a soul-sucking minion of Darkness and Evil.  Fiend, used in that sense, is a term for any being from the lower planes, while demons, devils, and a couple of other groups are types of fiends._

_Timbre (pronounced tam-ber) is a musical term denoting the qualities of a tone.  The precise definition escapes me at the moment._

_As has been mentioned before, Starsong is the English equivalency of Sharanna, her elven name, and the term is related to her draconic name and heritage._

_Thank you to Troy "Silver" Stanton for allowing me to use the idea of Ami having a German ancestry.  Go read his Sailor Moon V stories if you're old enough (the man is not kidding on the advisory, folks), they're great and a source of amusement to me for a long time.  His site's at www.sailormoonv.net._


	7. As Yet Untitled

**A Mithral Dragon in Modern ****Britain******

**Part 7: As Yet Untitled**

            Sharanna yawned as she sat in the airport terminal with Artemis on her lap.  _I can't believe how much long that meeting took,_ she thought to herself.  _Of course, I suppose I should have at least told them before I chose to reveal myself to the world.  Somehow I don't think Sir Basil's blood pressure was helped by seeing me on CNN.  Or the talking cat,_ she added impishly to herself.  _Still, it was not classified nor was it something that did not need to be done.  If what Pluto told me is true, and it is if she said it, then it was necessary, as she said at the time.  It forced the fiends to stand back and think about just how big a mess they wanted to create, in addition to cutting some of the last bonds holding back the magic of this world.  I am quite willing to make a huge mess for them if they invade,_ she added silently.  _Given that we may very well be on the edge of a new Age, allowing a fiendish invasion is the last thing we need.  Now I know why Setsuna was so distracted that day._  Sharanna sighed and looked at Artemis.  "Artemis, do you honestly think that we could handle it if war came to Britain?  A real magical war?  Against fiends, against terrible demons and dark sorcery?"

            "No.  The British couldn't handle it alone.  But then, they aren't.  They have you, one of the most powerful mages of this age, along with the Senshi and other allies, no doubt.  Besides, if Great Britain is plunged into that sort of war, the other countries will back them up.  As will the Church and it's little... side-groups, as well as the Knights Templar.  Don't look at me like that, Sharanna," he protested as she gave the feline a surprised look.  "You know I keep my ears open."  Artemis laughed at the look on her face as he continued.  "They're not alone, and neither are you.  The faeries would defend these islands, and didn't you mention something about Irish mages the other day?" Artemis asked softly.

            "Yes, but a few half-trained apprentices are hardly fit for combat duty.  And the Church groups would likely class me with the enemy," Sharanna added.  "I'm not exactly a Christian either, Artemis."  Artemis muffled his laughter as someone walked by.

            He was about to say something when the loudspeaker blared to life.  "British Airlines Flight 209 now arriving at gate 7, British Airlines Flight 209 now arriving at gate 7."  Sharanna nodded.

            "Good, they're here.  Come on, Artemis, time to meet our roommates."  Artemis groaned slightly as he thought about the 'what a cute kitty' comments he would have to endure.  Sharanna smiled tolerantly at the cat's actions and picked up the small sign she had made as they made their way over to Customs.  "Just think about all the cute little parties we could have," she added, shoving the needle in a little further as she remembered what the young children of the court had done a few times to any of the faerie cats they could get their hands on.  She'd been forced to sit through one herself, for that matter, as she had been grabbed while shifted into a cat, and she could understand the cat's frustration.  Still, the site of Artemis in a dress _had_ been pretty funny.  Artemis nearly howled in dismay as Sharanna smiled innocently and stifled her own laughter.  The guard gave the pair a funny look, but decided not to bother them as he thought it over.  Shannon held up the sign, which read 'Oxford Students,' for the group clearing customs to see.  The first that noticed it was an elegant young woman with aquamarine hair who walked over, carrying her luggage.  "Good morning," Shannon greeted her before glancing at Artemis.  "Settle down, would you, Artemis?" she commented.

            The woman's eyes widened at the comment, but she said nothing on the subject.  Instead, she reached out to greet the American.  "Hello.  I'm Kaiou Michiru, one of the exchange students," said the same in accented English.

            At that point Artemis leapt off of Shannon's shoulder and onto Michiru's.  "Artemis, there had better be a very good reason you did that," Shannon informed the feline, a scowl on her face.

            Artemis mewed a little before Shannon nodded slightly and relented.  Michiru raised an eyebrow.  "My friend should be along soon.  You know, we have another friend back in Japan who has a cat just like this one.  What breed is he?" Michiru asked quietly, looking around for Ami and Rachel.

            "A rare one, domestic mongrel," Shannon replied, smiling at the dirty look the cat tossed her.  Michiru laughed then blinked as the look on Shannon's face changed.  "Was there a man with your companion earlier?" Shannon asked softly in Japanese, looking at the blue-haired girl who was coming over to them, a brunette and a dark-haired European in tow.

            "No.  I think she might have mentioned something, why?" Michiru answered in kind before noticing the language shift.  "Why?" she asked as she turned around.

            "Because there is one now, and they're talking in German."  Shannon frowned slightly.  It wasn't personal, it really wasn't, but she didn't like the Germans all that much.  It had to do with dealing with the darkest elements of German society at a time when she was still grieving for the loss of her home at the hands of humanity, but she simply wasn't fond of them.  They seemed to, in a way, epitomize the worst of humanity come again to haunt her and the good souls she stood in defense of.  It was an incorrect assessment, and she knew it, but even dragons – especially dragons - have feelings and perceptions that can be wrong in the face of considerable evidence to the contrary.

            "What's wrong?" Michiru asked.

            "Nothing, just a bad feeling, that's all," Shannon replied.  She sighed and shoved her misgivings to the back of her mind and stepped forward.  "Rachel Valentine and Ami Mizuno, I presume?" she asked, holding out her hand.

            Rachel nodded.  "And you're...?"

            "Shannon McCloud, your RA and chauffer for the evening," she answered, allowing the British accent she normally spoke with to bleed through somewhat.  Rachel laughed, and then Shannon turned her attention to the man.  "Sir, I appreciate your assisting them over here."

            "It was not a problem," he replied, his English strong and clear, though not without a Germanic accent.  "It was, of course, the least I could do for my daughter and her friend."

            Shannon blinked hard before glancing at Rachel, who then surreptitiously pointed at Ami.  Shannon glanced between the pair for a few moments before sighing and nodding.  "Very well, then, Mister...?" she added.

            "Heinkel.  Maximillian Heinkel.  She takes after her mother, obviously," he added to explain the dragon's confusion.

            "Obviously," Shannon agreed dryly.  "Well, in any case, we need to get going or my boss is going to have my hide on a wall," she told the girls.  "Mister Heinkel, you're welcome to visit your daughter in the morning.  My apologies, sir, but we really do need to get going."

            The man nodded, increasing her respect for him by a notch.  "Of course, of course, Ms. McCloud.  I appreciate both your dedication to your duties and that my daughter will apparently be in good hands."

            She smiled back.  "Good.  If you like, however, you can help us carry the luggage to the van," Shannon told him sweetly.

            He smiled in response.  "It's so nice to be appreciated," Heinkel replied.

            "Alright, girls, let's get moving.  We've got too little time and far too many miles," she told the others, smiling.  "And given that I've been sitting here for an hour waiting for you three, I'm not in the mood to dawdle as I want to go back to bed."  There was a chorus of positive responses followed by yawns.

            The group walked back to the van Shannon had borrowed from Oxford and climbed after putting their bags up.  Shannon started the engine, and they drove back to Oxford, with the girls going to sleep while the dragon drove, listening to a CD of Vivaldi.

            Shannon smiled as Ami staggered out of her room the next morning.  "Sleep well?" she asked.  The look she received in response wasn't polite as Ami moved to the refrigerator and pulled out a Coke to drink.

            Ami sighed after drinking a little bit.  "I'm exceedingly jet-lagged," she admitted.  "And I didn't get that much sleep the night before, for that matter," the blue-haired girl added.

            Shannon nodded as she continued reading the morning paper.  "And now you're feeling the fatigue," she expanded.

            Ami nodded again as she sank into a chair before taking another gulp of the drink.  "So, what do you have here for breakfast?" she asked in Japanese, before realizing what she'd done.

            Shannon just shrugged.  "Depends on what you want.  I don't have that much Japanese food here, but I've got cereal, bread, and milk, as well as a few frozen, pre-made things in the fridge," she explained.

            Ami stood up, looking a little steadier on her feet than she had before.  "I'll take the cereal, I guess," she answered.

            "Fine with me," Shannon answered.  "Oh, by the way, do you have any idea when Michiru will be up?"  Ami shook her head.  "Oh well, I guess our little chat will have to wait, then."

            "Chat?" Ami asked, curious and concerned at the same time.

            "We need to have a discussion about certain things, such as your curfew and a few things about personal safety in light of recent events," Shannon replied evasively.

            "Recent events...?" Ami asked, confused.

            "You haven't heard?" Shannon asked, raising an eyebrow.  Ami shook her head.  "There was an attack on the grounds yesterday.  The witnesses saw... someone take on and kill some large creature in plate armor and a fire-breathing horse," she added, holding up the newspaper.  "No one managed to get a picture of any of the combatants, but the police say they found bullet fragments from a .50-caliber round where the horse fell.  And whoever they were, the University is concerned about something like this happening and is reportedly trying to find a way to stop something like that."

            Ami nodded, now fully alert despite her fatigue.  "What about that dragon?  Did she do anything?"

            Shannon smiled.  "You could say that, yes."  Ami gave her a look before Shannon nodded.  "Yes, I know something."

            Ami sighed.  "What, you know who she is?"

            "Well, I should think so," Shannon replied.  "After all, she's me."

            Ami frowned for a moment as she thought that over, then did so again, and then again, and got the same answer each time.  "You're the dragon?" she asked doubtfully.

            Shannon nodded.  "I'll refrain from roaring if it's all the same to you, since your roommate is still asleep."

            Ami frowned, giving Shannon a doubtful look.  "Fine, prove it."

            "If you insist," Shannon replied before grabbing Ami's hand and muttering something under her breath.  The world flared silvery-blue for just a moment, and then they were standing on top of one of the towers of a castle, looking out over a lake.  "That's Loch Ness.  There, see that crest?" she asked, pointing to something on the near shore.  Ami nodded, pulling away slightly.  "That's Nessie.  The mist dragon you saw on the news.  Convinced yet?"  Ami nodded again, still reeling from the sudden revelation and the teleport.

            "Yes, I believe you."  A blast of the cold morning wind caught her and she shivered.  Sharanna didn't seem affected.  "Can we go home now?"

            Sharanna finally cracked a smile.  "Certainly.  We need to talk, anyway."  She looked Ami over.  "And I prefer such things to be done in comfort.  One must maintain some decorum, after all," she added, allowing the British accent she ignored as Shannon to slip back into her speech.  Ami smiled as the sense of being everywhere and nowhere at once washed over her again.  Then she thought she was going to be sick for a moment.

            "Are you okay?" Sharanna asked her.  "I suppose you aren't used to teleportation, are you?"  Ami shook her head.  "I am sorry, but it seemed the fastest method of convincing you I was telling the truth."

            Ami smiled weakly.  "It worked."

            "Good.  Now then, we have a looming problem, one I think it best that we be aware of before things go wrong any further."  Sharanna sighed and looked out the window over the balcony the trio shared.  Ami moved beside her.  "There is the distinct and rather disturbing possibility that we will soon be facing the prelude to a demonic invasion of this fair Earth.  I know the Senshi have faced down similar things in the past, but we are not in the same position as we were then.  It will be just Pluto, Neptune, you, and I, along with local assistance, such as Nessie or the Knights Templar, and we will have to make do."

            Ami's eyes widened at the mention of the fabled order.  "The Knights Templar?  Weren't they destroyed hundreds of years ago?" she asked.

            "Publicly, yes, the Knights were destroyed.  But privately, they live on and are among the foremost guardians of this world, second only to yourselves with the help from one of their advisors on eldritch occurrences," Sharanna explained with a hint of pride in her voice.  "We will also most likely have help from the British government and other sources, but for now, we are on our own until we know more about what has happened.  Here, circumspection and caution are the prerequisites of action, Mercury.  Pluto and I have been active for over sixty years because we are rarely seen, nor does anyone get enough details to describe us."

            "That's... a little different from our usual mode of operations," Ami admitted.  "For one thing, the government usually tries to forget we even exist."

            Sharanna laughed.  "That's a result of not having experienced occultists on the payroll, a minor agreement after World War II about not putting them on the payroll and letting a few 'trustworthy organizations' handle things, and sheer human willingness to ignore the obvious, Ami."  Ami frowned at that last part.  "Ami, I'm not kidding.  Humanity has one of the strongest abilities to ignore the blatantly obvious I have ever encountered, and it is a trait that has been present in some form for millennia.  Fear, paranoia, anger, jealousy, mankind is capable of the darkest depths of emotion, but I have seen humans willingly step in front of a bullet to save the life of a friend, surrender their souls into darkness in exchange for an innocent, and countless acts of heroism."  She sighed, her mood turning dark.  "I suppose my opinion is colored by distrust.  I have problems believing in someone until I see proof they are not of a darker nature.  I, like any sentient, have my prejudices, and I willingly acknowledge that one of them is an unwillingness to trust humanity in general."

            Ami's expression was one of shock, at best.  Sharanna sighed.  "Humanity once betrayed those who saved it from slavery, repaid mercy, compassion, and selfless sacrifice with treachery, dark sorcery, and violent death.  While humanity was aided by things beyond this mortal realm, in the end, the decision was that of Man, not ours.  We offered them protection, friendship, and trade.  Instead, we received hate, scorn, and assault.  I have problems forgetting that, even though I should forgive the sins of the past.  And yet, I look around in the world, and what do I see?  The same petty hatreds and dark feuds that existed then still have free reign over the human heart.  Tell me why I should be willing to grant a measure of absolution to ones such as these?  Any person may well earn my friendship, but humanity, as a whole, has much to prove to me before I trust them again," she finally concluded.  Ami nodded.

            "Do you trust me?" she asked after a space of minutes had passed.

            Sharanna smiled softly and nodded.  "Your past self more than earned my trust and faith in her on more than one occasion.  You yourself have traded your life for that of the Princess in one instance, and risked your life on the behalf of others many times.  Yes, I trust you and Michiru.  Both of you are willing to die for others in need, and in the cause of good.  How can I not have faith in people such as yourselves?"

            "An interesting question," Michiru replied softly.  "How do we know that we can trust you?"

            Sharanna frowned.  "I have proven myself in battle and in service to the Queen.  Pluto has an implicit belief in me.  But, I can understand the question.  No, you do not know that you can trust me.  No one can truly know the heart of another," she added softly, remembering an old friend... one whose blood had stained a sword in her hands after he had turned from the light.  "However, I have stood between innocence and inhuman savagery, in defense of those I would rather see dead.  There is no need to question my loyalty to the principles of law and good."

            Michiru nodded.  Her sense of things told her the dragon spoke the truth, pronounced it with a force that few other beings could bind themselves to.

            "Are we agreed, then, that we shall stand together, come what may?" Sharanna asked, posing a question that she already knew the answer to.

            The others nodded.  "We have to," Ami said finally in the looming silence.

_Author's Notes:_

_            Just in case anyone's confused, Shannon McCloud's (fake) background is American, not British, just to throw another layer of confusion to anyone trying to figure out who Sharanna is at __Oxford__.  Remember both the dragon's personality and her usual employers with the British government.  Wheels within wheels defines a number of draconic plans and deceptions, not just Sharanna, but from most dragons.  The Sir Basil quote is an homage to Tom Clancy._

_            Sorry about taking so long, this one just hit a truck-load of writer's block.  Then getting involved with the Twisted Infinities mod for FreeSpace 2... The list goes on and on._


	8. May Change Without Notice

"Mithral Dragon" is in dire need of a rewrite. The original concept was solid enough and is going to be retained but I'm going to be redoing it from the beginning. The characters are going to be more-or-less the same, at least the main characters, but the location is changing. More when I get there.  



End file.
